


Extraction

by Legendary_Belmondo



Category: Amnesia: Rebirth
Genre: Blood and Gore, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:06:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27190825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legendary_Belmondo/pseuds/Legendary_Belmondo
Summary: Temaku of the Otherworld reflects on the beautiful efficiency of vitae extraction methods.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Extraction

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Spoilers for content in Rebirth! Also, technical descriptions/depictions of torture. Not recommended for the squeamish.
> 
> After watching a playthrough, I was disturbed and morbidly fascinated by the factory system described in the Otherworld notes. Frictional really created a twisted setup for this one--something about the automation of torture with cages and machines is deeply unsettling. As are those gnarly people pods.
> 
> Ironically, I'm usually pretty squeamish myself, but once I started envisioning what kind of fucked-up factories they were running in the Otherworld, I wanted to try and paint it more concretely. This was the most interesting part of the game for me, along with the connections to The Dark Descent.
> 
> I mostly followed in the in-game notes for reference, but embellished some here and there. I'm not sure if those pods were actually intended for the purposes I mention (although it seems possible considering the screaming), but I thought it added a nice extra layer of grossness.
> 
> Enjoy! Or don't. Probably don't.

Grand. Efficient. Practical and elegant beyond belief.

Necessary.

As he gazed from the tower balcony upon that beautiful urban sprawl he'd come to know so well, Temaku reflected with satisfaction upon his recent work. The most essential of work. Work that most of the populace wouldn't be able to appreciate--not that it mattered, as long as the Empress was kept alive.

At first, he'd been uncomfortable with the whole process. Not only was it crude and inefficient, it was messy.

Acquisition and transport of the subjects was the easy part. The cage network had been developed based off their existing monorail systems, allowing for large numbers of immobilized stock to easily be ferried from one place to the next. Cages moved on a set path from the hunting grounds to the torture and application chambers, and finally into the automated disposal room with its gigantic grinders that processed meat and bone into an easily disposable pulp.

It was the vitae extraction process that Temaku found...lacking. He'd observed an early trial inside the laboratory and walked away largely unimpressed. The man was brought in via the cage network to an Application Device, a machine with several arms that could be outfitted with different instruments depending on the subject's sensitivities. This particular subject had a great fear of sharp implements, and thusly, simple thin knives were the instrument of choice. Temaku watched those tapered blades slowly inch towards the subject's ankles, moving at a speed calculated to elicit the largest anxiety and stress from the subject as they envisioned the ensuing pain. The screams were, quite thankfully, mostly muffled by thick glass as both Achilles' tendons were first pierced, then gradually severed, followed by the application of an anti-hemorrhaging aid to prevent major blood loss. Next came the slow puncturing and removal of one eye, followed by the insertion of the piercers into both ears, ultimately rupturing both eardrums and rotating in a pattern best suited to causing the most agony to the inner ear.

That was only half of it. Temaku could barely remember the rest; he'd been too busy thinking of ways to make the process better, simpler, more streamlined. It needed to be, after all. This wasn't something being done for leisurely research, it was a necessity--a way to keep both the Empress and her people alive. For that reason alone, it had to be made perfect.

Recently, there'd been a great breakthrough. The researchers had discovered that, if stock were to be severed at the waist, they could still be kept alive and receptive to torture. The resulting Tansur level of pain was nearly equal to that of full-body application, as well, as long as nerve stimulation was properly concentrated. As a result, the stock could be kept in small, self-contained pods known as "Containment Capsules." Half of the pod's interior would be occupied by the subject's truncated body, while the remaining interior contained a network of tubing, instruments for stimulating pain receptors, and a selection of memory capsules. It was like beautiful, efficient clockwork, entirely self-efficient. Torture for approximately 17 hours dispersed throughout the day would result in a large quantity of vitae, a small amount of which would be sporadically re-injected into the subject in order to repair most incurred bodily harm. Then, a dose of elixir of Emmerysh would be orally ingested, followed by the transfer of a memory capsule back into the brain. From there, the process could repeat ad infinitum, requiring only a low level of energy to power the nerve stimulators.

But why was it such a marvelous discovery? The reasoning was simple. Instead of the time-consuming, wasteful nature of individual torture chambers and the storage issues of full-bodied subjects, vitae extraction could now be condensed into the highly practical, incredibly efficient factory model, requiring very little oversight by researchers or assistants. Each capsule could easily be hooked and transported wherever necessary, and even during transport, torture could continue inside the pod without interruption. With every second of time and every unit of space utilized to its fullest potential, the vitae output was maximized, and the majority of the process was kept from the public eye. The most exquisite part: the city would only need three large factories full of Containment Capsules in order to provide for both the Empress' needs and those of the citizens.

It was utterly perfect.

The test factory they'd built had become a truly awesome spectacle. Walking through the endless aisles of stock capsules, one could not only see their screen reflections vainly attempting to squirm away from the torture implements--you could _hear_ them. The pod glass muffled most of the groaning (particularly the more irritating high frequencies), but with the small amount that escaped, the factory halls resonated with an ongoing cacophony reminiscent of a gigantic cattle pen. Most of the intent was practical; from the screens and the cries, it made it very simple to confirm that capsules were working as intended. And of course, each subject could hear the continuous groans of those surrounding it, which would in turn heighten the fear and resulting vitae output after a memory capsule transfer.

But Temaku also enjoyed hearing them. Like the satisfying whirring of cogs in a machine, the rhythmic ebb and flow of screaming as subjects moved through their automated torture was deeply pleasing for him. So clean, so controlled, so wholly efficient and purposeful. During his inspection strolls, Temaku often had difficulty withholding a smile. 

That didn't mean his work was done, of course. There were still many aspects of the process to refine. A wider array of application techniques was needed, for one; pincers, stretchers, piercers, and drillers could only go so far. The elements, however, provided an intriguing prospect for new methods. Concentrated flame could allow for steady broiling and roasting of the flesh, triggering a large amount of pain receptors at once. Ice, when applied properly, could send tiny razor-sharp crystals shooting through the subject's veins, tearing up the circulation system from within. The application of air and earth still needed to be investigated further, but presently, the researchers were studying the effects of slowly injecting dust into a subject's airways, accumulating a buildup in the lungs that would make breathing steadily more painful and laborious. 

Future prospects were bright. If everything continued on this prosperous path, Temaku's efforts had secured an infinite source of life and vitality for the Empress and her people. The cost was minimized to only a few hundred thousand stock, with only minor replacements necessary as age and strain led to death. A very paltry price to pay, indeed, for the well-being of both a city and its most blessed leader. 

Smiling to himself, Temaku swiveled on his heel, heading back into his laboratory. 

These days, he looked forward to his work.


End file.
